Maria

Let me just start off by saying that if I would have read this book before finding my passion and true love for reading and mystery, suspense books of all kind, I would have without a doubt given this book five stars because it is a good, entertaining read. However, because I've read a bunch of mystery suspense novels before this one, this one just falls flat in comparison. It's kind of like watching a very entertaining, however not quite moving chick flick, you enjoy it at the moment but it doesn't stay with you past that. Also, because I did enjoy it nonetheless, I will be reading the other book in the series, just maybe not right away.

This novel is about a group of high school students who find themselves in detention together and after some things happen, one of them ends up dead. The rest of the story is trying to figure out who did it and why. It was an interesting plot, even if the characters were a bit cookie-cutter and the setting of it taking place in highschool just further proved to me that I have somewhat outgrown those kinds of stories. I did like how we get to the solution, it wasn't revealed all at once and it was gradual, even if I knew who the bad guy was from very early on. I'm not usually one to ever guess the ending but it was rather predictable and pretty obvious, even to me.

Further on, the characters were probably my favorite part of this novel. Even though they were kind of on the surface and pretty stereotypical, I still grew to care about them because of the things they went through together and the way their relationships formed and developed with each other. I think that is the strongest part of this novel, the relations the characters formed with each other throughout the novel. I also loved the amount of development the characters underwent and how they transformed all throughout the novel. For this reason I will be reading McManus' other novels and the rest in this series.

Finally, the writing style was simple but it worked for the setting and the overall vibe of this story. It got the story across without any problems and made for a well laid out and paced novel. I think it also helped with the characterization because even though the kids were in high school, we were able to see them progress and mature and develop without the writing style taking away from it. The characterization spoke for itself and the writing style did it's job at getting that across.

In conclusion, I would recommend this to the younger readers or to those just starting out with the mystery suspense genre. I wish I would have read it back in school because than I would have loved it for sure. All in all, not bad but not memorable either.

Holy crap! Now that's the way to start off the new year! I picked up this book because it was short and because I heard that there was a mind-blowing twist in it and I was not disappointed! This twist is something akin to Shutter Island and The Silent Patient- it just blew my mind! I also feel like this book is deeper in meaning than your average romance thriller/mystery and I loved the whimsical way that the author brought the story to life since it wasn't written in the most simple way. I'm just ecstatic that I started my reading year off this way!

To begin with, We Were Liars is about four kids from a privileged family who spend summers together on a private island. One summer things get a bit out of hand and repercussions follow not long after. I haven't read many plots like these but this one takes the cake. I loved the way we saw the world through Cadence's eyes and really felt like we were in her mind, even the book was written through a teenagers outlook on life. There were definitely plenty of twists but that last turn at the end, had me gasping out loud in disbelief. I usually don't particularly like books that skip around so much and have lots of flashbacks but in this case it didn't take way from me understanding the gist of the story. Masterfully done.

Further on, the characterization of the main character especially was otherworldly. I loved how we got to see her authentic self, without any airs or falsehoods. Also, the way she saw all her other best friends on the island, it really made me feel like I got to know them really personally as well. Lockhart wasn't afraid to go there, to the very disgusting and miraculous depth of the human soul and it made the main character so relatable, even though I am twice her age and things that concern her aren't really a concern at this stage of my life.

Finally, the writing style, as I have already mentioned above is so unique and yet packs quite the punch. The sentences are written in a whimsical style, at least in some parts and there are even creative renderings written from the heroine's point of view, which are not necessarily always woven in concrete reality and yet never fail to hold a truth to them either. I haven't read a book quite like this one before and will continue to pick up E. Lockhart's works in the future because that choice was absolutely mesmerizing and so unique/different- just a breath of fresh air!

In conclusion, even though this book is considered Young Adult and is written from the perspective of a teen, I think this book could positively affect any adult. There is romance, mystery and thrills in this novel and even though romance isn't a favorite genre of mine, I ate it all up in this one. The author was just able to deliver a story that was so authentically full of truth and hard life facts, that it was heartbreakingly impossible to put down. For such a small book, this sure packs quite a punch! A must read!

Although I read “Six Years” in a few days, it definitely was not one of the best books I've ever read. Not as exciting as it could be, we follow Jake's journey as he tries to uncover the truth about his long-lost love and realizes that he doesn't know himself as well as he thinks.

Coben's writing style is very unique in the way his sentences are structured and we get a good sense of what the character is thinking, especially through the dialogue. Although the dialogue wasn't one-hundred percent realistic, there were a few quotes that Jake has which shows us exactly who he is at the core of himself. Some things that he thinks are also eye-opening to him as the main character.

I wasn't a fan of how slow the book started but once it picked up it almost made up for the slow start. Also, it wasn't nearly as suspenseful as the synopsis and the book cover made it out to be and I wasn't hanging onto my seat, dying to find out what will happen next.

With that being said, it was a cute mystery and there were some really good themes and motifs in the story which I could relate to. One of the those was the idea of hope, or rather of not losing hope. Being from Russia, we have a saying, “hope dies last”, and this is a prominent message in the book. Another one is how “things aren't always as they seem.” I think this book had a lot of really good ideas and messages that readers had a chance to take away from it but it lacked in the actual thrill within the story itself. This is not one of those books that will stay with you long after you finish reading it, you are likely to forget it very quickly because the plot isn't a particularly memorable one.

I think I should have started with Coben's bestseller first and then worked my way to this one but I was bored and randomly took this book. It didn't keep me on the edge of my seat but it did entertain me somewhat and I had some pleasure in reading it. With that being said, I am willing to give Coben another chance in the future, especially because I did enjoy his writing style immensely.

This book is for anyone who isn't a big fan of extreme suspense but still likes a bit of mystery here and there.

I have mixed feelings about this book but more of the feelings are definitely positive. I will definitely be picking up the next book in the trilogy soon, probably after I read a few different books after this one. And what's up with the cliffhanger at the end? Ah, it infuriated me so.

To begin with, the writing style of this book is not my favorite but it's not that bad either. It's mediocre for me. After reading two books before this that I absolutely loved, this one fell a bit short. The writing was mediocre because it was a bit choppy for me at some parts. I found there were moments when I had to reread sentences or sections over again because I felt like I read them wrong the first time. It just didn't flow naturally for me, the writing. Although this didn't happen too often, it did take away a little from the book in my opinion.

Also, I would have liked there to be a bit more feeling and emotion in the writing but it seems the author gave just enough, the bare minimum. Being a highly emotional person myself, I thrive on raw emotion in my books and this one didn't have nearly enough. Also, even though the book was written from the perspective of Ellie Watt, I felt like I didn't get quite as deep of a look into her mind as I wanted to. A deeper connection between the heroine and the reader was missing for me. And for this reason I wasn't as on the edge of my seat as I could have been.

In addition, the smut was good but it wasn't great. I liked that it didn't overwhelm the book in any way but the writing itself in these parts could have been a bit classier and done a little more tastefully. I guess it was a little too straightforward for me. I like when there's a bigger array of different words used in a scene like that. It seemed a little redundant to me and the different sex scenes kind of blended together in my mind.

With that being said, there were also things that I loved about this book, hence why I gave it 4 stars and not 3. For example, the plot was fantastic. I thought it was very wisely done and there were a lot of surprises in this book or moments that made me go “What the actual fuck?”. Aside from all the negative stuff that I mentioned before, the plot definitely redeemed the book for me and for this reason I kept reading. Also, at first I didn't like how we kept going back between present day and the past, through Ellie's eyes but I got used to it and then I actually began to like it. It was just something different that I haven't seen in many books before, even though I haven't read nearly that many books whatsoever.

Yes, the cover was pretty too but it still didn't do the story line justice. I think the going back and forth between her past and present made the most significance when we started to see the relationship develop between Ellie and Camden (present day) and before that it wasn't necessary, although it was interesting to see how she was forced into this life as a con-artist and couldn't stop being one even when she tried. Although, it was weird that when we read about her in the past, she was referred to as “her” and not by name. I understand the significance of her being different back than and still morphing into the person that she was today but I didn't think that was necessary. It actually made it a little impersonal to me at those parts, for that reason and I felt detached from her.

Finally, I love the dark/complicated, “bad guy” characters and for this reason I love Camden. He was just the right amount of dark and light to me that I found him to be realistic and not two-dimensional. I loved how him and Ellie had history already because I haven't read too many books with some background already between the characters in the beginning of the book. And the development of their present day relationship was going at just the perfect pace, not making them fall madly in love with each other right off the bat. I love that both of them are bitter and resentful towards each other in the beginning but then gradually the love outweighs all the negative feelings they harbor towards each other and it makes for a beautiful yet messed-up relationship. Those are the best.

All in all, this book is for anyone who wants a good story to read- full of excitement, romance and a bit of smut. I think teenagers would enjoy this book and people older as well. It was good although it did miss the “wow” factor for me by a bit.

What a great way to end the series! Usually I'm so disappointed by most series' endings, but this one was great. It tied everything together and it just made sense, in a good way. I think I actually like this book better then the second one and I am pretty happy with how things ended. Hopefully there will be a continuation from these series, I want to know what happens to all the characters after their adventures in this book.

Let me begin by praising the plot. Outstanding- throughout the whole book really. But in this one, it once again moved at the perfect pace. I did not get bored whatsoever and the only reason I took a break was because life got hectic and then I was trying to get into a roleplay on Tumblr that didn't work out.

Further on, I have never been a fan of the “friends-to-lovers” scenario but here I was glad for it. I liked Maya with Rafe but it just felt right, when she started seeing Daniel in a whole new light and started distancing herself from Rafe. Honestly, I was cheering them on the whole time and I couldn't get enough of their interactions with each other. This book showed me that some relationships burn out, even in books and I'm glad she didn't keep forcing Rafe and Maya's relationship. And the characterization? Top notch, as always. Although I did like the focus on Maya and Daniel. What a great pair.

Usually, I would say that such a basic writing style takes away from the whole book but not in this case. I like how it was precise and to the point, without adding anything extra. It was easy to get into the action and to picture the scenes in my head as they unfolded in the book. I loved Armstrong's writing style and will definitely pick up all the rest of her books sometime in the future.

Now, let's get to the reason why I loved this book immensely more than the previous one in the series. First of, I can now see how The Calling was dragging a little, especially with them being stranded and trying to find their way home. The plane crash was definitely necessary to the plot, but the plot seemed to drag without any significant characterization happening or anything else for that matter. With that said, it was still a great book and for that reason I am not changing my rating on it. However, this book was much better and more diverse and exciting.

I was mostly satisfied with the ending, although I would have liked to see Armstrong take a little more time in letting us know what happened after their adventure ended. I mean, I was looking forward so much to the epilogue and was a little disappointed with how short it was. Maybe this means there will be a continuation of Maya's story in the future? I certainly hope so. But still, it could have been a little longer and I would have felt much more satisfied. Also, why couldn't we get a little more of Daniel and Maya at the end too? I wanted to see their blossoming romance more than what was offered to us at the end of the book.

All in all, the third book in the Darkness Rising trilogy blew me away. The previous books were good as well, although the second one was worse for me than the other two. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick read and also wants an adventure-packed story with a bit of a supernatural twist. Oh, and the romance doesn't lack there either.